Clutch



. Feb. 5, 1924.- 482,544

' A. W. CAPS CLUTCH Filed Sept. 20. 1920 invento/o @Ma /g/ Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

unirse STATES j j y Midlie ARTHUR w. CAPS, or TornxA, KANSAS, AssreN'on, BY rrEsNn ASstGNMnN'rs, To o. n. coLLrs, or CLINTON, IowA.

CLUTCH.

Application led September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,419.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. CAPs, a citizen of the United States, residinfr at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and tats of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, Vand Y the liketo a shaft.

The invention contemplates animproved l construction of that type of clutch in which co-operative frictional engagement -to Vcause a Shaft to drive a pulleyror the like, or vice versa, the construction being such that the interleaving laminations will normally be in frictional engagement although they may be conveniently disengaged by appropriate mechanism which comprises one of the novel features of Vmy invention.l

The novel construction of my invention, together with the Inode of operation, will be apparent by reference to the following description in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view in longitudinal vertical section through a pulley and part ofthe clutch mechanism, the securing sleeve and releaser being Shown partly in section and 'partly in elevation and applied to the shaft.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view on the lline 2 2 `of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the applicator disk.

Referring now to the drawings,

1 designates. a sleeve mounted upon a drive shaft 2, the sleeve being p-rovided at its ends with a plurality of longitudinal slots 3 so that the end of the sleeve may be contracted about the shaft by the split col- 5 lar l1, having outwardly projecting lugs 5 This invention relates to clutches and Vparj ticularly to means for clutching a pulley or interleaving laminations are employed forv and 6, through which a tension bolt 7 passes, the tension bolt being capable of. drawing the lugs 5 and 6 together to constrict the bore of the ring 4c and thereby contract the end of the sleeve 1 about the shaft 2 to clamp the sleeve and shaft together. The sleeve also has a key 1 which engages the shaft 2 to provide a positive driving connection between the two Velements in addition to the clamping device.V

The sleeve 1 is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 8 having an annular shoulder 9 to provide a spring seat for one end of an expansion spring 10. The otherl end of the spring rests against the spring seat 11, carried by the actuator disk 12 Sleeved upon the sleeve 1 and havinglongitudinal movement with respect thereto to compress the interleaving laminations which constitute the clutching elements of the clutch. The actuator 12 is adapted to be moved to release position by a plurality of independent, longitudinally, extending pins or fingers l13, arranged in circular series about the axis of the shaft 2 and the sleeve 1` the pins or fingers 13 loosely lying` in longitudinal grooves 14- in the notched collar 15 integral with the sleeve 1. The notches 111 alternate with notches or recesses 16 in the collar 15 to receive inwardly disposed projections 17 on the disks or laminations 18, which alternate with those designated 19 and constitute one set of clutch members,

The disks or lamina-tions 19 which alternate with those designated 18are provided with peripheral notches 20, engaged by inwardly projecting ribs or lugs 21, the pe iipheries of the disks 19 extending slightly beyond the peripheries of the disks 18 to receive such projections,A it being apparent that the inner edges of the disks 18 likewise overlap the inner edges of the disks 19 to engage the recesses 16 inthe collar 15. The inwardly extending projections or ribs 21V are carried by the driven memberillustrated as apulley and comprising a housing. The rim 22 of the pulley is'relat'ively wide so as to vprovide an enclosing space'23 for' the mechanism just described. The rim ofthe pulley is provided With a Web 241 having a bearing flange or sleeve 25, Vwhich is loosely sleeved upon the sleeve 1.

The flange S serves as a stop for limit-ing the longitudinal movement of the bearing flange'25 in one direction and the collar Li serves .as ,a stop for .limiting the fnioveinent of the sleeve inthe opposite direction, although the sleeve 25 constituting a hub portion for the pulley, permits independent rotation of the sleeve l within -it whentlie parts are not clutched together. 24 constitutes one end wall of the housing enclosing the space 23. The other end wall 0f the housing consists `of a .collar 26 having an offset web 27 serving as an abutment vfor the interleaving laminations to oppose .the thrust caused by the actuator 12. The yweb 27 carries a circumferential flange 28, which is adapted to be `removably secured `totherirn 22-of the pulleyby fastening de vices 29, ras clearlyindicated lin Fig. i.

The sleeve26 is mounted upon a releaser constituting 4a longitudinally -slideble, ltubular vmember 30, between the inner end `of which andthe ends of the pins or 1vngers lis an annulus 3l comprising a ball-race or anti-friction bearing constituting a thrust bearing for the fingers and `Jthe end ofthe releaser 30. The releaser 30 is provided with aflange 82 tobe `engaged by any sort v'of a shifting device for moving it vlongitudinallyoffthe shaft2, it being understood ythat the -releaser v30 is mountedto loosely slide on said shaft for-the purpose of exerting longitudinal thrust `aga-inst the Afingers 13 and-the actuator 12,=in opposition tothe spring l0, to relieve the frictional engagement between the 4interleaving 'laminations so "that the shaft may 4rotate 4iiulependently ofthe pulley and viceversa, dependent upon which is the driving element. 'For example,

if the shaft '2 is -the driving element, the pul.-

leymaybe releasedf-rom clutch engagement Vto remain `stationary while the shaft Vrotates, but if the pulley is the driving elefment, the pulley may continue to rotate `while ythe shaft 2 remain-s stationary.

1t will be observed that the V'interleaving laminations are normally in clutched engagement-due to the expansive force of the `spring `10, ibut that the two parts, that is, the 'pulley and shaft, @may be disconnected from driving and drivenengagenient vby the releaser v'30, which :may be shifted longitudinallyto exert force as :above described to permit the interleaving laminations of lthe respective sets to rotate idly one between `the other.

@n the sleeve 26 `is ya 4sprocket 33, which may be :utilized :to drive .-a sprocket chain l-in the event that `the pulley is Vnot utilized `.for driving va fbe'lt, :it `being sometimes desir- :able rto Vsubstitute 'the sprocket `for the belt @or mice versa.

From ithe `foregoing it will be :apparent The web that a device constructed in accordance with my invention may be inexpensively manuA factured and assembled, the sleeve l being first assembled with the spring interposed between its seat on the iiange 8 and the actuator, tlienterleaving laminations being properly alternated andthe thrust bearing 3l being interposed in the space between the tubular member V:2.6 and the iin-gers 13. The end wall-consisting of the tubular member 26, its web 27 and liange 28 is then fastened to the tread of the pulley bythe screws 29, which extend into the projections 21, the leaser BOis then put in position and the entire'organization slipped over the shaft 2 so that when theouter lendo'f thesleeve il is clamped about 1 the sli-aft 2 through the Vmedium of the split ring clamp dgthefclutch will be ready to function. Since-the spring has an inherent tendency lto expand, thel clutch will be applied normally butreleased when-the `releaser 30 is actuated by suitable means, causing it to shift longitudinally against the thrust bearing 8l to forceftheactuator longitudinally 'in'vopposition-to the spring 10.

n the event that it Visf-desirable to 'have access to the interior-ofthe pulley for vthe purpose of inspection or repairs,fthe Vmechanism 'may Vbe readily accessible upon 4taking outf'thefastening devicesj29.

Therefore, the parts Vmay -be easily vassembled or 'disassembled as the occasion 4may demand, itlbeing apparentth-at the-device i s simple Vin construction and that an -eiiicient clutch VInechanismis provided.V

ldhat I claim and desire'to secure by Letters lllat-ent is; i Y

l. In combination, a `sh-aft, a sleeve on said ,shaft hav-ing asplit end, acontractible collar about `the split end to contract the same into frictional engagement with 'the shaft, an outstandingspringrseat carried'by the sleeve, a pulley having fa lrubinterposed `between Vthe .spring seat and the Vcollar whereby the hub may 4l1-ave rotative -inovenient 'with respect 'to the shaft -but -be 'helzl against longitudinal movement, a plurality -of interleaving clutch laminations carried on vsaid shaft, :a pulley rotatable `about the sleeve und having :clutch disks or :laminal:tions in .spaced relation, a .collar en :the

sleeve carrying clutch disks .or laminations interleaving with `these :on the pulley, grooves in .said `celia-r, fa'sprlngepressed .ac-

tuator for forcing the respective laminato exert pressure against the ins and tions into frictional contact, pins in the against the actuator to move sai actuator grooves for operating the actuator, a thrust out of functional position. 10 bearing about the shaft and bearing against In testimony whereof I affix my sig 5 the ends of the pins, and a releaser sleeve on nature.

said shaft and projecting into the pu11e \7 v hub for engagement with the thrust bearing ARTHUR W. CAPS. 

